Master Tse’s Wing Chun Note 268

Grandmaster Ip Chun 葉準 Seminar Part 8

The next person to ask a question was Tom from Australia. He asked his Tai Sigong, “When I watched you Chī Sáu with Sigong (he is referring to me) and Siba (meaning Darryl) you looked very comfortable even when got very close to them. That is not like me, whenever I Chī Sáu with them I always try to keep at a distance just in case I get hit. Do you have any advice about how to get closer?” Sīfú smiled and I thought that he must have come across so many questions on Wing Chun throughout his life and Tom’s question he must have answered many times. He said, “When two of us practise Chī Sáu, both our hands must contact. If we contact at the wrist then this means we are further away and so we cannot easily hit each other, but this is also a disadvantage. At this distance we do not have enough power as the wrist and the palms are weak. If we contact our opponent near our elbow then we are closer and this means we can easily get hit, but the elbow is more powerful. So it is based on where we make contact with our opponent’s hands. It is like the gears of a car, the wrists are like third and fourth gears are fast, but weak. The elbows are like first and second gear powerful, but slow.